Q&A with Helen Phoenix
I’m always interested in the artist’s processes and concepts, partly as a way to understand my own creative practice, but also as a way to get to know my artist’s better. I want to share with you my interview with Helen.
What made you decide to become an artist?
It really wasn’t a considered decision. I drew and painted from a child. There was nothing else I loved so much.
What do you love most about being an artist?
Sometimes the act of painting is so therapeutic and calming, at others downright frustrating! Overcoming problems and creating solutions is ultimately so rewarding.
Describe your studio, what do you love and dislike about it?
My studio is white; it has a leather sofa that used to be white and a large window overlooking allotments. It is peaceful, which I love, and mostly untidy – I wish I were a tidy person!
What do you like wearing when you are painting?
I’m always most comfortable in my dungarees. I have several pairs that reflect the colours I’ve been using.
What do you dislike about the creative process?
Sometimes it’s getting started; at other times it is knowing when to stop, always a difficult decision.
Your paintings speak of joy - tell us why it is vital for you to capture joy in your works.
We live in a wonderful world. I like to portray my observations and emotions in my work. Hopefully, this is also felt and seen by those who view my paintings.
You work with a medium called Egg Tempera. Why are you so fascinated by this material?
I have found the depth of colour, the washes and layers, enable me to create both the details I want but also the constant surprise of never quite knowing what is going to happen when a wash dries. I love working with the unexpected.
What is your favourite painting tool?
It’s my old number one sable brush.
Describe your working processes.
It’s important for me to be open to new ideas and to explore different practices. I get bored with repetition. I like to leave work to dry overnight and view it with fresh eyes in the morning. I work in intense hourly sessions if I’m painting in lots of detail, and I like to loosen up by drawing when I can.
Tell us why garden birds inspire you.
They are all around us—beautiful little glints of feather and noise, endlessly fun to watch. I imagine them with little individual personalities. It is where the idea of my ‘Cloud Cuckoo Land’ came from; people transformed into birds.
Are there any other subjects you would like to paint?
I adore life drawing and am fond of still life. I need to return to observational work, to keep looking and seeing and developing creatively. Recently I have returned to still life painting. I am enjoying creating contrast in my work; the placement of inanimate objects, the use of light and dark coupled with a beautiful bird which seems to bring the paintings alive. It is a challenge and a struggle at times, but worth it in the end!
You have had some high profile clients; describe the works you created for them or how this came about
I was lucky enough to receive a grant from Goldsmiths, which allowed me to explore ‘Cloud Cuckoo Land and to interview and paint some fantastic personalities. Jonathan Ross became a Crested Bulbul, an impressively dressed bird. I was commissioned to paint Dawn French by a friend of hers, to celebrate her marriage. She was a beautiful little owl holding her wedding rings!
If you could be an apprentice of any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
Gosh! A difficult question, it’s hard to think of just one. Grayson Perry would be fun.
Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years?
I’ll be painting in the sunshine, with some fresh dungarees, surrounded by happy cats.